Coupling



` INVENTORS April 29 1924.

ATTORNEY WITNESS:

April 29 1924. 1,492,439 w. FAlN ET AL COUPLING Filed Dec. 20 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet-2 pfi 29 1924.

W. FAlN ET AL Filed Dec. 20. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 VJ E WWW/f WITNESS:

April 29, 1924. 3,492,439

FAIN ET AL CCCCCC NG fifi Patented Apr. 29, i924.

COUPLING.

Application led December 20, 1922.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLrAM FAIN and ARTHUR Runs, citizens of the United States, residing at Coalgood, in the county of Harlan and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful improvements in Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to air couplers for trains, the general object of the invention being to provide automatic means for coupling the airl pipes together without necessitating the crew having to go between the cars.

Another object ofthe invention is to so form the parts that the automatic coupler can be easily rendered inactive and the regular hose connections used when necessary.

A further object of the invention is to provide. means for permitting the coup-ling parts to readily adjust themselves to the movement of the cars -when the train takes a curve or the like.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

in describing our invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a side view showing adjacent ends of two cars with the invention in use.

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of one of the coupling parts detached from a car. l

Figure i is a section on line 5fi of Figure 3.

Figure ure 3.

Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 are detail views.

ln these. views the numerals 1 indicate brackets which are suitably secured to a car, shown in Figure 1, and these brackets support a barrel or tubular member 2. A push rod 3 is slidably mounted in the barrel and is pushed forwardly by means of a spring e arranged in the barrel. The forward movement of the rod is limited by a pin ."5 passing` through its rear end. The front end of the push bar is provided with a head 6 which is provided with a rounded is a section on line 5-5 of Fig- Serial No. 608,105.

rib 7 on its front face. The coupling head 8 is provided with a recess 9 in its rear face for receiving the rib 7 and the coupling head is held in place by means of the liange 10 on one end of the head 6 and the pin 11 at the other end of the head 6. rihese parts are so arranged that the coupling head can have limited vertical, movement on the rib and also a rocking movement in a horizontal plane thereon. Ball bearings 12 are provided for reducing friction to a minimum.

vThe coupling head is provided with the usual guiding wings 13 and a tongue 14 is pivotally mounted in the coupling head by means of its tongue 15 engaging a recess 16 adjacent one side of the head, the parts being so formed that the tongue can be rocked in a horizontal plane. The tongue is provided with a lateral extension 17 which extends into a recess 18 formed in the coup-ling head, a recess 19 being formed at the junction of the. extension with the tongue, and the tongue is provided with an end edge 20, which is adapted to engage the recess 19 of the abutting coupling head when two cars come together so as to force the inner-faces of the tongues together. The extension 17 acts to limit the movement of the tongue. An air passage 21 is formed in the Itongue, the mouth of the passage opening out on the inner face of the tongue and a gasket 22 is ,located on said face around the opening. A rounded projection 23 extends across the inner face of the tongue adjacent its outer end and a groove 24: is formed in said facein rear of the opening, the projection 23 on one `tongue being4 adapted to engage the groove 240i the other tongue when the coupling heads come together. These projections and grooves act to protect the gaskets and to make an air tight joint between the abutting faces of the tongues when the coupling heads are in engagement with each other. A spud 23 is connected with the oulter end of the passage and ashort length' of hose 24 is connected with this Spud. A number of spuds may be provided when necessary.

A hose coupling 25 is placed on the other end of the hose so that this hose can be connected with the main hose 26 of the air line. rlhe lower wing is provided with a recess 27 for preventing this wing from interfering with the movement of the spud when the tongue is movedA A spring 28 is provided for holding the tongue in its outer position and the hose will also act to hold said tongue in this position.

From the above it will be seen that when the two coupling heads come together the tongues will be firmly pressed again each other so that the gaskets will make a tight joint and permit the air to pass from the passage of one tongue into the passage of the other tongue. Thus the air pipes of a train are automatically connected together without necessitating the brakeman having to go between the cars. If anything should happen to the device the short hose can be disconnected from the main hose and the two main hose connected together in the ordinary manner. By having the coupling head vertically movable the heads will properly engage each otherl when a loaded car is coupled to an unloaded car. The parts will accommodate themselves to the movementof the cars wheny the train is taking a curve or the like. The spring pressed push rods act to hold the heads in engagement with each other so that the tongues will remain in firm contact at all times..

In order to prevent rotary movement of the push rod we provide the same with a flattened part() which engages a fiat part 3i of the barrel.

lt is thought from the foregoing descrip tion that the advantages and novel features of our invention will be readily apparent.

We desire it to be understood that We may make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the 'scope of the appended claims.

lVhat we claim is l. An air coupling of the class described comprising a spring pressed rod, supporting means for the same, a coupler head connected with said rod, said head including guiding wings, a tongue pivoted in the head and having an air passage therein, means for connecting the same with the air line of the car, means associated with the tongue for engaging a tongue of an abutting head for forcing the abutting faces of the tWo tongues together to make a tight point', such means consisting of an extension on the tongue and a recess in the head for limiting the movement of the extension.

2. An air coupler of the class described comprising a spring pressed rod, supporting means for the same, a coupler head movably connected with the rod, a ton 1e pivotally mounted in the head and having a part thereon for engagement by a tongue of an opposing head, saidv tongue having an air passage therein and a hose connection connected with the passage.

3. An air coupling of the class described comprising a spring pressed rod, a support for the same, a coupling heady having vertical sliding movement thereon and a limited rocking movement, a tongue pivote'd in the head and having a part thereon forengagement by a tongue of an opposing head, said tongue having an air passage therein and a flexible connection connected with said passage.

4L. An air coupling of the class described comprising a spring pressed rod, a support for the same. a coupling head having vertical sliding movement on the rody and also a limited rocking movement thereon, a tongue pivotally mounted in the head and having a part thereon for engagement with a tongue of an opposinglhead, said tongue having a passage therein, a hose connected with said passage, a projection adjacent the outer end of the tongue and a recess on the inner face of the tongue for receiving the projection ofthe opposing tongue and a gasket around the mouth of the opening and arranged between the projection and the groove.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures. Y

hi WILLIAM s ram. 

